A Witch's Journey
by SlytherinGoddess
Summary: Re-uploaded with chapters and a new name. Tell me what you think... Oh, and I'll be adding more soon!
1. Prolouge

> Untitled (A witch's journey)
> 
> Prolouge  

> 
> By: Phoenix Goddess
> 
> ~*~*~*~*~*~
> 
> By the side of the road in Salem, Massachusetts, a small baby cried. The rain poured relentlessly as she whimpered and cried for all she was worth. She was cold and hungry, a pink blanket, a gold locket and an oddly shaped stick her only wordly posessions. A car came slowly around a turn, and it's headlights picked up a glint from the locket on the infant's neck. The car ground to a stop a few feet before the child, and a hooded figure stepped out. Seeing the baby, the hooded man picked her up, and carried her back to the car. The car made it's way to the orphanage, and there it stopped once more. The man took the child inside, where he knew she would at least get shelter for the night. 
> 
> ~*~*~*~*~*~
> 
> Natalia yawned and streched. Even after 10 years of living there, she still wasn't used to sleeping on the hard orphanage floors. As she lowered her arms, her hand fell automatically to the locket around her neck. She looked at it wonderingly, as she had every morning since she knew what it was. _Someone had to have loved me_, she thought, _to give me this. But why would I have been left by the side of the road then?_
> 
> "Get up, children! Today is your first day of school! You absolutely cannot be late!" A harsh, barking voice came from the other side of the room. A big, burly woman crossed the room, kicking her way through the children still sleeping on the floor. "You especially, Miss Natalia. You will make sure they all get to school on time, or you won't sit down for a month!" 
> 
> Natalia grimaced. She knew that if she didn't come through, she literally wouldn't sit for a month. Whether because of the spanking she would get, or the amount of chores, she wasn't completely sure. But she managed not to lurk on the trivial details. She started gently shaking all the little kids around her. 
> 
> "Come on, honey, wake up. Ryan, come on, you know you want to go to school! It's so exciting! It's your first day! You too, Sharon. Don't you want to go see Calista?" 
> 
> Slowly, all the children woke up. Natalia was not the only one bothered by the hard floor, but there was no complaining out loud. Natalia made sure every one was dressed and at the breakfast table by 7:30 A.M. sharp. She did not want to be punished today. 
> 
> By 8:45 all the orphans were on the street, being shepherded by Natalia to their respective schools. All the children loved her, as she was the only one at the orphanage who would listen to their problems and give them advice. They most certainly didn't get that from the orphanage director, Ms. Bullgurt. 
> 
> She dropped a few children off at a local preschool, and said some words of encouragement to help them through their day. Then she dropped the rest of the group off at the elementary school. As she walked each child to their class, she comforted them, and made sure they had everything they needed for their day. When she had finally finished dropping children off, she escaped to the front yard of the school. She still had to walk to Salem Jr. High, where she was starting this year. She needed to stop, and rest, but she absolutely could not be late. So she kept on walking, daydreaming as she went. 
> 
> ~*~*~*~*~*~
> 
> As she was walking down a side street, she noticed a small shop that she didn't think she had ever seen before. She walked toward it, entranced. There were crystal balls in the window! She had always been fascinated by "magic" and had even tried to run away from the orphanage to join a traveling magician. She was so engrossed at staring at the things in the window, that she didn't notice when she pushed the door open and walked inside. A small woman with a purple cape and matching pointed hat turned around from the cash register. 
> 
> "Can I help yah, hun?" She asked sweetly.
> 
> Natalia was caught off-guard. No one had really ever asked her anything nicely. Even her teachers detested her. They felt they were above teaching such "riff-raff". Did it matter that she was intellegent? Of course not! She snapped back to attention quickly. 
> 
> "Uh... sorry! I didn't mean to be in here, really. I don't have any money to buy anything with. I've only got a dollar. I'm really sorry to waste your time." She cringed, thinking she was going to get a verbal barrage which would make her late for school. 
> 
> "That's ok, darling. Do you just want to look? Wait! Did you say a dollar? Don't you have any galleons or sickles or knuts?"
> 
> "I'm really sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about."
> 
> "You're a muggle! Aren't you? But... but how did you see the shop?"
> 
> "What? I was just daydreaming and I kind of just walked in... shouldn't I have seen it? I'm so sorry, I'll leave, then."
> 
> "No! Don't leave, this is interesting. What's your name?"
> 
> "Natalia."
> 
> "Natalia what?"
> 
> "I don't really have a last name. I live at the orphanage..."
> 
> "The orphanage, huh? Oh! By the way, my name's Mrs. Jaime. My husband and I run this shop."
> 
> "Nice to meet you. I suppose my legal last name is Bullgurt, but I really don't want to use that."
> 
> "Ah, yes. Even among us magical people, Ms. Bullgurt has quite a reputation... a bad one."
> 
> "Did you say magical?"
> 
> "I did? Oops... I really shouldn't tell you, as you're a muggle. But you found the shop, so you must be a special muggle. So I suppose I could tell you."
> 
> What ensued was indeed the most magical hour of Natalia's life. Although Mrs. Jaime should probably not have told her everything she did, she was lonely and needed someone to talk to. Mrs. Jaime explained a lot of the magical world, and even showed Natalia some of the spells. 
> 
> "Your turn! I just want to see if you can..."
> 
> So Natalia took Mrs. Jaime's wand in her hand. She was immediately besieged by a strange memory, like one has when remembering a long-forgotten dream. Her head hurt from inside as she pictured a baby wrapped in a pink blanket by the road, crying. Clutched in the baby's fist was a wand much like the one she held in her hand. Natalia gasped and returned to reality. Shaking, she gripped the wand harder, and scared herself when green sparks flew out the end. It was all too much for an 11 year old girl, and she passed out.
> 
> ~*~*~*~*~*~
> 
> Natalia woke with a stinging smell in her nostrils. She sniffed delicately, and her eyelids flew open. Disoriented, she tried to grasp where she was. Then it all came back to her. 
> 
> "Are you all right, Natalia? You had a nasty faint there."
> 
> "Yeah, I think so. Ugh, what _is_ that smell?"
> 
> "You know those potions I was telling you about...? Ooh, I'm so excited. You're not a muggle after all! You're-"
> 
> "Really?!" Natalia interrupted, excitedly.
> 
> "Yes, really! That wouldn't have happened if you were a muggle. So now I don't feel bad at all for telling you."
> 
> "_Wow_!!" Natalia screamed, and immediately attacked Mrs. Jaime with a huge hug. 
> 
> "Natalia, I like you a lot. Already. Maybe you would consider living with me and my husband, and learning more about the magical world?"
> 
> Miliseconds after Mrs. Jaime finished, Natalia emitted a loud squeal and squeezed her so tightly she couldn't breathe. 
> 
> "_Of course!_"
> 
> ~*~*~*~*~*~
> 
> AN: Ok, this will eventually connect with Harry Potter, I _promise_. Really. So, whatcha think so far? Interesting, or not in the slightest?
> 
> Pronunciation: Nat-a-li-A (not Na-tal-ia)
> 
> Mrs. Je-aim 
>
>> Disclaimer: I actually own all the characters so far (gasp) but galleons, sickles, knuts, muggles, etc. belongs to the one and only Joanne Katherine Rowling. (Duh!)
>> 
>> PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE Review. I need to know how I can improve!


	2. Carry On!

Untitled (A witch's journey)

Part One  


By: Phoenix Goddess

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oh, my gosh. I completely forgot about school! Shoot! I'd never make it now, and I don't have a good excuse. Ohh, Mrs. Bullgurt's going to kill me!"

"Calm down, hun. We'll go and talk to her now. I'm sure my husband won't mind. He's bound to be back from his trip to England shortly. What a nice surprise for his welcome-home!"

"He's in England? I've always wanted to go to England."

"Maybe. But first, we have to go through all the muggle... what do you call it? 'Red tape'."

"I can't thank you enough... the orphanage is horrible!"

"I wish I could help some of the others... But, although we're well off, we just don't have that much money."

"That's okay. They're all young, and most people like adoptees that are young."

"Like you're not young?"

"Of course not! I'm 11 years old!"

"Oh, I see. So that makes you queen of the world, does it?" Mrs. Jaime asked teasingly.

Natalia sniffed. "I am most definitely not a child."

"Oh, I see. So you can drive can you? Most talented 11 year-old. Can you apparate too?"

"Just because I cannot do these things does not make me a child."

"You've got a haughty streak there, doll. You'd better watch yourself."

"I'm sorry, I can't help it."

"Well, you're going to have to learn to help it, if you want to live with us. Think you can do that?"

"I'll try."

"Good girl."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Natalia lived with Mrs. Jaime for a month before Mr. Jaime came home, so when he did, she was well adjusted. Mr. Jaime was a burly, jovial man. They "clicked" instantly, and within a few weeks, she was calling him Daddy. His frequent trips to the English Ministry, though, cut short their playtime. It was a rough life, but much better than the one she had at the orphanage. She was learning magic at home, taught by "mom". She was a perfectionist, but that only made her better at her subjects. Potions was her favorite. She found it enchanting, how just the right amount of an ingredient could make a potion powerful enough to kill, or cure. Mom even took her to the pet shop to get a pet. She originally was going to get an owl, but when she saw a small, black, green-eyed kitten, all thoughts of an owl were forgotten. The kitten was immediately bought, and the two became inseparable. 

"What should I name you, cutie?" Natalia rhetorically asked. 

"I don't know, but I like Altair." a small, male voice answered. 

Natalia nearly fell over in shock. 

"You can speak English?"

"No."

"But then...?"

"You can speak Ailurin."

"I can?!" She asked, bewildered. 

"Well, obviously." Altair answered huffily. 

"Wow. So I can talk to any cat?"

"Any member of the cat family. You know, lions, tigers, Persians... You get the point."

"That's so totally awesome!" Natalia shrieked.

"Yeah, it's like, way rad!" Altair added, mockingly. Then he yelped as he tumbled from the bed to the floor.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Natalia kept up her home studies, keeping up with others her age, of four years. She still had a penchant for Potions, and she was quite good at Transfiguration. Mrs. Jaime was training her to become an Animagi. She felt this was a very important tool to self-discovery. Of course, there were other, less painful ways, but why would you want to use them? Mrs. Jaime's form was a cheerful cardinal. As she was not quite that far ahead yet, Natalia did not know what her form was. Natalia was very close to her new family. She had even gotten used to living in Salem, when Mr. Jaime dropped the bombshell on them.

"We're moving to England!" he announced one evening over dinner. 

This brought mixed reviews.

"Zach! You're not serious?" Mrs. Jaime cried, worriedly.

"Really? Great!" Natalia exclaimed. 

Altair looked bored.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oh my god, Altair! I'm so excited! I finally get to go to England, _and_ I get to go to Hogwarts! I hope I'm in the same year as other people my age. Wouldn't it be embarrassing if I went with the first years? Ooh, look at this book I bought, Altair. It's _Hogwarts: A History_. The summary says it'll tell me everything I need to know about Hogwarts and it's founders. Oh, I can't wait! Did you hear mum and dad arguing? Mom wants to go muggle style- fly by plane!- but dad wants to go by Floo Powder. I think Mom's winning. She usually does. I'm so thankful the English Ministry offered him this job. 100,000 Galleons a year! It must be a really important job. He wouldn't tell me what though." Natalia babbled endlessly as she packed all her belongings in her magically-enhanced trunk.

"Do you ever stop to breathe?" Altair complained.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Writhing with excitement, Natalia clutched her trunk in one hand, a whining Altair under her arm, and some Floo Powder in the other hand. (Mr. Jaime had won.)

"Alright, Zack, you go first. Natalia, you next, then I'll go. Remember: It's 'Jaime's Villa'. Don't screw it up! I don't like going cross-continental with Floo Powder. Be careful!"

"Yes, mother. I'm not a two-year-old anymore! I mean, really!"

"I'm sure she's just worried, dear. Let's go, before you forget the words. Just... say them once, for me."

"Oi. Jaime's Villa. Happy?"

"Couldn't be more."

And with that, Mr. Jaime threw his powder on the fire, dragged his trunk in, and yelled "Jaime's Villa!" He swirled around, a blast of purple flame shot up, and he disappeared.

Next, Natalia completed the same performance. 

Finally, with a last look around, and a heavy sigh, Mrs. Jaime followed suit.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When all three arrived safely in the house the Jaimes' had purchased, a collective sigh of relief was heard. 

Natalia started giggling, Altair meowed loudly to be let down, and Mr. and Mrs. Jaime gave each other looks, then cracked up. 

"Do you know how long it's been since I laughed without a reason?" Mr. Jaime exclaimed between snorts of laughter. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Natalia could not remember when she had last been this excited. After four years of being home schooled, she was going to Hogwarts, the most prestigious wizarding school in the world. Not only that, she was in Harry Potter's year! Imagine, possibly having classes with one of the most famous wizards in the world!

But she was also nervous. _ What if I don't fit in? Am I too Americanized?_

August 31, the day before school started, found Natalia in a state of shock. She was in Diagon Alley, and feeling almost- overwhelmed. She had never seen this many wizarding shops in one place before! She had so much stuff to buy, too. She needed- _let's see_- her uniform, a new cauldron, some more potions ingredients (_yay!_) and a couple books. Luckily, mom knew her way around, having been here often in the past month. Natalia had been too busy with her muggle friends to come. So now she had to buy everything today.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I really wish you hadn't put this off, Natalia." Mrs. Jaime complained, exasperated.

"Well sor-ry! It's a bit late to complain though."

"Don't start. Where to first?"

"How about Madame Malkin's?"

So Mrs. Jaime and Natalia set off to Madame Malkin's, where in the shop, Natalia met a rather nice guy, who had pale skin and blonde hair.

He introduced himself as, "Draco Malfoy. Nice to meet you. You are pureblooded, correct?"

Natalia was confused. She really wasn't sure, but since the Jaimes' had adopted her...

"Of course."

After making chitchat with Draco, Natalia bought her robes and met Mrs. Jaime outside. She was uncharacteristically quiet for the rest of the shopping expedition, only perking up when they stopped at the Apothecary.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Finally, Mrs. Jaime could take it no more. "What is with you?! You ought to be grateful, all the money we spent on you today!"

"I am grateful. Thank you."

Mrs. Jaime sighed. "What's wrong?"

Natalia couldn't help it. She began to tear up.

AN: that would be tear, as in cry, not tear, as in rip in half...

"I don't know who I am! I don't know who my parents are, or where I inherited the ability to speak Ailurin from. I don't know anything about my past, so how can I know about my future?"

"Ohh, hun. I don't know how I can help. You were left by the road, as you know, so the orphanage couldn't tell me anything. Wait! Your locket! Have you checked it?"

Natalia looked at her mother blankly.

"It's solid."

"Are you sure? Here, let me see." Natalia handed it over. "Nice water-repellent charm, by the way. Let's see... Alohorma? No."

"I told you so!"

Then, once again tapping the locket with her wand, Mrs. Jaime said, "Mrs. Jaime, mother of the owner of this locket, demands you reveal yourself."

Once again, nothing.

"Here. You tap it with your new wand, and say 'Natalia, owner of this locket, demands you reveal your secret.'"

Natalia did so, and the locket opened with a click.

"See? You just need to know how to talk to these things. I'll be in the kitchen- we're having the Weasley's for dinner."

"Who?"

"Some friends of your father's. Pity they have so many children..."

And with that, she left Natalia to investigate her new treasure.

Natalia stuck a manicured fingernail in the exposed slit in the locket, and pried it open. A small piece of parchment fell out.

McFayden vault, Gringotts, Diagon Alley, England.

password- courage.

"Mom! I'll be back before dinner, I promise!"

She grabbed some Floo powder, and transported herself to the public grate at Diagon Alley.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When she arrived, she stepped out at a brisk pace towards Gringotts. When she arrived, she smiled at the goblin at the front desk, and said "McFayden vault, please!"

"Password?" the goblin said irritably.

"Courage."

"He will show you the way." The goblin said, pointing to another.

Natalia followed the other goblin down to the cart, where she rode a considerable distance to the vault. It was high-security, and upon opening, shone with gold and jewels.

"Holy shit!"

Natalia walked in and looked around. Was this hers? Adhered to the wall was a piece of parchment.

Daughter-

I know not your name, as I know not you. You are illegitimate, but a pureblood nonetheless. You were a shame upon my family; therefore I could not keep you. Do not try to contact me. This is a private vault, set up with an assumed name. Its contents are yours. Do with them whatever you please. Money concerns me not anymore. I have provided the best I can for you. Thank you. 

-Your mother.

P.S. There is a bag upon the floor. It shall serve your needs.

Natalia looked down. There was a royal blue, velvet handbag upon the floor. Another bit of parchment was attached. A key was beside the bag. 

Point to the bag with your wand, and say your name. From then on, only you have access to it.

_Whatever._ Natalia thought. She pointed at the bag with her wand.

"Natalia... Natalia McFayden."

~*~*~*~*~*~

AN: Heys ppls. Thank you for reviewing my other part, plz keep it up-- It's very encouraging! I try to review every story I read, plz return the favor. Keeps morale high, you know. I'm putting a pic of Natalia in her Hogwarts uniform in my profile.. I felt you should know that. So... do I need more detail? Is this moving too fast? Sorry for the crappy ending!! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I only own everything but Draco and Diagon Alley and such. Some other fantasy writer owns Ailurin... Sorry, I forget who. They're a really good author tho.


	3. Of Bags and Dresses (?!)

Natalia bent down, and examined the bag. Nothing seemed to have happened, but being in the magical community for nearly five years now, she knew better than to assume it didn't work. She prodded the bag gently with her wand, and still nothing happened. With a sigh, she picked it up. All still seemed normal. _Well, this is good. Maybe I didn't get here fast enough..._ Glancing at her watch as she straightened, Natalia tried to find a slight difference in the bag. Then, she did a double take, glancing at her watch again. _Ack! It's nearly dinner time!! _Grabbing double handfuls of galleons and sickles, she shoved them in the bag and ran out to the goblin and cart. 

"Lets go! I need to get home!" She practically shrieked at the goblin.

"One speed only." The goblin replied with a wry grin as they set off.

~*~*~*~*~

Grabbing Floo Powder from the comunity dish, provided by the Ministry, she threw it into the fire, shouted, "Jaime's Villa!" and took off in a whirl of roaring fire. 

~*~*~*~*~

Sooty and disheveled, Natalia burst into the kitchen.

"_Natalia!"_ Mrs. Jaime cried. "Where _were_ you? I was so worried..." 

She made a move to hug Natalia, but then realized exactly how dirty her daughter was. Her sream would have made any dramaticist proud. 

"_Natalia!!!" _She shrieked. "Your father's friends will be here any moment and you're all dirty!!"

Natalia left her new bag on the kitchen table, then flew up to her room, as though by a shot-putter.

~*~*~*~*~

While Natalia was getting cleaned up, Mrs. Jaime got dinner. The heat from the oven was becoming unbearable, so she set the dishes to washing themselves, and setting the table. Then she took a seat at the table to calm herself down a little.

Muttering softly to herself as she rested, "I can't believe she would do that.. Just run off, and it's the Weasleys too.." she finally noticed the handbag laying upon the table. One of the plates couldn't reach the table, so it kept bouncing up and down off the bag, with a soft clink of metal each time.

"What's this?" Mrs. Jaime muttered. She picked it up to examine it. It seemed to be a normal bag, except when she tried to open it, it was sealed tighter than by vacuum. 

"Alohorma?" Mrs. Jaime whispered tenatively. She wasn't exactly sure she wanted to see what was in the bag, but now that she knew something was in there, she just had to find out. In some respects, she was just like a cat. 

Nothing happened. She decided to take the approach that had worked for Natalia this afternoon. 

"Natalia, owner of this bag, demands that you open yourself." Somehow, she knew the bag had sensed her deceit and still, nothing happened.

~*~*~*~*~

"Aye! Altair, help me here, would you?" 

"What do you expect me to do? I've only got paws!"

Natalia struggled to zip up a skirt that had become way too small for her.   
"What do you think I should do?" Natalia queried Altair. "There's no way this is going to fit, and everything else I have is packed for Hogwarts!"

Altair shrugged. (Or as much as a cat can shrug, anyway.)

"Thanks for the help."

"No problem."

Giving up on the skirt, Natalia decided to try to "borrow" something from Mrs. Jaime. 

"It might work." She sighed. 

"What might work?"

"Nothing, Altair. Now, you stay here. I don't need a psycho cat on the rampage downstairs, thanks."

"Psycho cat? Thanks a bunch, babe."

"Babe? Oh, god, those cats you hang out with _are_ nutters."

"Look who's talking. Nutters? Please."

"Hey! At least I'm _trying_ to become English!"

And with that, Natalia left the room, and headed for her mother's. 

~*~*~*~*~

Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Mrs. Jaime dropped the bag and looked up guiltily. When no one appeared, she sighed gratefully and went back to cooking. She'd ask Natalia about the bag later. 

~*~*~*~*~

Entering her mother's room carefully, Natalia shot for the closet that contained her mother's old clothes. While Natalia was slight and skinny, Mrs. Jaime was well, not. Not that you would call her fat, it's just she wasn't as skinny as she used to be...

Upon reaching the closet, Natalia carefully creaked open the door and lit her wand to see in the dark. Rifling through the many dresses, she grinned when she reached a hot, green little number that would go perfect with her eyes. She wondered slightly about it's origin, but she could find that out _after_ the Weasleys were gone!


End file.
